An entomologist and imaging specialist with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Shahan became enamored with spiders as a kid in his Oklahoma backyard. Today, his infinitely detailed macro portraits reveal spiders as works of art that he hopes will inspire love (or at least respect) for his favorite creatures.

;People fear and demonize spiders,” says Shahan. “But they are beautiful, beneficial animals—the unsung heroes of ecosystems.” By showing the beauty of specimens such as this Phidippus regius—one of the largest of some 5,000 species of jumping spider—Shahan hopes to give all spiders a reputation makeover, “turning repulsion to reverence.”